Water closet



c. H. JoHNsoN' 2,258,453

' WATER CLOSET Filed Aug. 12. 1939 5 sheets-sheet 1 Oct.- 7, 1941. c, H.JQHNSQN 2,258,453

WATER CLOSET Filed Aug. l2, `1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 wenn! l 5Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 7, 1941. c. H. JoHNsoN 2,258,453`

WATER cLosvET Filed Aug. l2, 1939 135 'y Eu/anion 2f-r. Z/CZQP/QROQEJO/zson Oct. 7, 1941.- C, H, JQHNSQN 2,258,453

WATER CLOSET Filed Aug. l2, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 7, 1941.UNIT-ED STATES PATENT optics WATER oLosE'r Clarence H. Johnson,Chicago, Il l., `assigner to Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company,Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application August 12, 1939,ASerial No. 289,848

(Cl. i-,85)

14 Claims.

This invention relates to water closets for rail- Way cars Aand has forits `primary object the provision of a lightweight closet structure andoperating mechanism.

The invention involves the use of an upper dumping pan and a bottomclosure member with operating mechanism therefor designed `to effectfull closing of .the bottom closure member before initiating thevdumping action of vthe upper pan and the return' movements of suchmembers in reverse sequence, whereby the initial opening movement of thebottom closure member is delayed -until the upper dumping pan isrestored to fully closed, normal position.

The invention also contemplates the restoration of the flushingmechanism for the Water closet to its normal non-flushing condition inthe event that the upper pan is prevented from returning to normal,closed position, or the bottom closure member either to normally open orclosed position, or both members aected simultaneously by an obstructionin the closet, thereby to prevent draining of the water supply tank.

The principal object .of the invention is to provide a compact operating`mechanism requiring less space for its full range of action and havinglost motion mechanism between the -upper pan andthe bottom closuremember adapted to afford sequential operation of such members in theorder desired without the use of weights and having other `.lost motionmeans normally supporting the -upper pan in closed position but adaptedto afford full opening of such pan. Y

Specifically, "the invention contemplates the `provision of torsionalspring devices adapted, one pf'them, normally to maintain the upper panin closed position andthe other to permit opening the upper pan afterthe bottom closure member lhas lbeen actuated and providing,respectively, `lost motion means whereby the operation'of the upper panmight be obstructed `without adversely af- -fecting the mechanism andlost motion means `adapted to absorb the continued movement of themechanism necessary 'to dump the upper pan.

The invention has for its further and im- `portant object the provisionof a water closet yfor railway cars preferably constructed oflightweight stainless steel, orA other suitable non-cor,- roding metal,pressed or drawn to the required -shapes and suitably welded.

'Ilhe `foregoing and other and more specific Iobjects of the rinventionare attained by the mechanism :illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

`in whichating mechanism with parts broken away better to show theflushing valve operating arrange,- ment;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the hopper with vthe operatingmechanism in normal position with the upper pan closed and the bottomclosure, member open;

Fig. -3 is a similar View o f the hopper with the mechanism ,operated toa point where both the upper pan and the bottom closure member aredisposed in fully closed position;

Fig. 4 is still another side elevational View of the hpllper with the`meclianlsrn further operated to its iinal extreme position of ,movementwith the upper pan in the fully open or Adumping porsi-` tion and thebottom closure member still ful'ly closed and from which position theparts then assume the position illustrated in Fig. 2, in which positionthe lower chamber is vpermitted ,to empty;

Fig, 5 is a vertical sectional View through the .center of the hoppertaken on the line 5--5 of Fig, 1 with the operating parts in normalposition and illustrating the hopper Iconstruction-g Fig. 6 is avertical, transverse sectional view .through the Acenter of the lhopper,taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2, with the parts -in `normal posi tionand yfurther illustrating the hopper'construction;

Fig. 7 Ais enlarged, `fragmentary, sectional view of the upper pan shaftmounting fand mecha.. nism and the bottom closure member mounting;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view through the upper pan shaft vtalien on theline 8 8 of Fig. '7 and showing the spiral `spring arrangement forproviding .a lost motion `connection .between the .upper p an and thebottom closure member;

Fig. v9 Vis a sectional View through thev upper pan shaft taken -on theline 9-f-,9 of Fig. :'I` and showing the spiral springarrangement forurging w lthe upper pan-toward closed position;

Fig.v 10 is a detaiLperspective view of Ythe `member on the upper `panshaft `for co-operating with the lost motion mechanism;

Figs-1l and 12 lare detail, perspective views el Vthe `parts o f thelost motion mechanism which house the spiral spring.;

Fis. `i3 is a fragmentary, .broken-away, .prspective View of the'upperpan and bottom `closure jmember with the operating mechanism;

Fig. 14 is a similar view-of .a modified formolf the invention in whicha spiral spring arrangement is also used ,on the bottom closure membershaft; `and 1 Figs. v15 and 1-6 are detail Aside-elevational .and

cross-sectional views, respectively, of the modified arrangement.

In the drawings, I represents a water closet constructed in accordancewith the invention and including the base member II having outwardlyextending bottom flange I2 which may be reinforced, if desired, by ringmember |13 to prevent distortion thereof when secured to unevensupporting surfaces. The base tapers upwardly, as at I4, to a pointintermediate the height of the water closet where it is provided with avertically disposed flange I5 continuous about the perimeter and havinga horizontal top surface. A chute member I1 is disposed within the basemember II and secured at the position of the vertical flange I5 bywelding. The chute is tapered downwardly to a bottom opening and isprovided with a recess I8 in the rearmost wall for a purpose hereinafterto appear. The flange I5, with the top edge of the chute I1, provides athroat into which housing member I6 is received and adapted to besecured by weldingone series of continuous spot welds securing the threethicknesses of metal comprising the flange I5, the chute I1 and thehousing member I6. Above the point of attachment to the flange I5 andthe chute member, the rear wall I9 of the member I6 extendssubstantially vertically, while the respective side walls flareoutwardly above that point, and the front wall 2i is also ared, to asubstantially greater degree, to provide an extended front. The sidewalls 2i! are each provided with a recess 22 having a horizontallydisposed top surface perforated at 23 for a purpose hereinafter to bedescribed. housing member I6 is provided with an outwardly extendingflange 24 continuous about the upper edge and disposed on a horizontalplane to provide a seat. The housing member I6 and the base member I I,together with the chute I1, allv integrally secured together, comprisethe stand portion of the water closet. The base and chute members areeach of them formed from a single, integral piece of metal drawn to thedesired shape, but the housing member is developed from a single blankof metal, of the desired contour, having a vertically disposed,interlocking, welded seam in the rear wall and pressed to the requiredshape.

The horizontal seat afforded by the top ange 24 on the housing member I6is embraced by a sealing gasket 25 which may be of rubber, if desired,or any other suitable material. Seated upon this gasket is the bowl 26of the water closet having the horizontally disposed shelf portion 21complemental to and supported from the seat afforded on the stand. Thebowl is provided with an extended front corresponding to that of thestand and, from the shelf portion 21 inside the stand, tapers down to adischarge opening emptying into the chute I1. From the shelf 21upwardly, the bowl extends vertically a short distance, as at 28, andthen is provided with an outwardly extending flange 23 for attachmentthereto of the rim 3B by welding. The rim is provided with the elongatedopening 3| having curved edges, as at 32, and is provided with anoverhanging portion 33 at the rear for the support of mechanismpresently to be described. rThe rim is provided with a rolled edge 34afforded by rolling the metal about a wire filler 0r core. The rim ispressed to the desired shape, while the bowl proper 26 is drawn to thecontour required to provide proper draining surfaces. At opposite sides,in positions complementing the At the top, the

recesses 22 in the respective side walls of the stand, the bowl isprovided with fabricated projections 35 secured to the sides of the bowlby welding and having threaded portions adapted to receive removablestud bolts 36 entered through the openings 23 in the top surface of therecess 22 securely to retain the bowl 26 in proper sealing relation tothe stand.

Flushing mechanism 45 is provided for the water closet and is supportedwholly from the bowl and rim structure, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 5.A supporting bracket 4S is secured to the overhanging rim structure 33by means of bolts 41 and is formed with depending flanges 48 disposed atopposite sides to provide spaced bearings for the reception of thehollow operating shaft 49. An operating lever 50 is pressed onto one endof the shaft 49 and secured by a pin 39 and bears against one side ofone of the depending flanges 48, thereby to prevent displacement of theshaft with respect to the flange in one direction. A bifurcatedactuating cam 5I is securely anchored on the operating shaft at theopposite side of the depending ange referred to by means of set screw 52and serves to prevent movement of the shaft in the opposite direction,whereby axial displacement thereof is positively prevented. Thebifurcated jaws of the cam 5I are adapted to engage the ball-shaped end53 of bell-crank lever 54 which is pivoted on integral stud 55 dependingfrom the underside of the supporting bracket 46 and the bifurcated arm56 of which engages the operating plunger 51 of the flushing valve 58 tochange the rotary motion of the cam 5I into a horizontal thrust on thevalve plunger when the operating lever 5B is actuated. The free end ofthe plunger 51 nds bearing in a flanged bracket member 59 secured to theflushing valve 58 by means of cap screws taking the studs 6I] integraltherewith. The bifurcated arm 56 of the bell-crank 54 engages bearingblock 6I on the plunger 51 in order to actuate that member.

The ushing valve 58 is mounted from ange 63 depending from the rear ofthe supporting bracket 46 by means of securing nuts taking integralstuds 64 on the valve body. The valve is connected to a Source of watersupply, at 65, and communicates with the interior of the closet bowl 26by means of an intervening T-shaped member 66 secured to the bowl at 61and to which the flushing valve is connected at 68. The T member 66 isprovided with one spout 69 adapted to direct iushing water into the areaof the rim of the bowl on the shelf 21 and another spout 10 adapted todirect water in the same direction into the bowl 26, whereby aneffective whirling action of the water is set up thoroughly to ush thecloset. A tray 1I, supported at its free end from one of the studs 64 bymeans of the securing nut, extends beneath the flushing valve 58 tocollect any moisture dripping therefrom and drains into the closet standas at 12. The flushing mechanism is actuated coincidentally with theoperation of operating mechanism for the upper dumping pan and bottomclosure member, as hereinafter described, by means of treadle 14fulcrumed intermediate its ends at 4I on fulcrum bracket 13-here shownas supported directly from the floor independently of the closet stand,but which, if desired, may be incorporated with the bottom flangereinforcing ring I3 as an integral portion thereof.

One end of the treadle 14 is pivotally connected at 42 with a strut 44which, in turn, is

sessies pivotal-ly connectedat -4'3 to the Iiushing mechanism operatinglever 450, whereby, upon depression of the foot-engaging portion of thetreadle, causing-an upward thrust on` the strut 44, the shaft `09 willbe rotated to cause the cam 5| to actuat'e the bell-crank f52|, therebyto press the plunger 51 `of the flushing valve and flush the closet. Thelocation of the fulcrum 13 with respect to the ratio of the length ofthe lever 14 upon opposite sides thereof, together with the height ofthefulcrum above the floor, will, of course, determine the leng-th 'oftravel ofthe operating parts;and `bodily shifting of the lf-ulcrum andtreadle lever' fore and aft, thereby increasing the angle of the strutv44, will determine the range of operational1 in accordance withrequirements of the various flushing valves differing slightly indimension and operation. YA resilient bumper l"4U is disposed on theunderside of the treadle at the foot-engaging portion to preventmetallic contact with lthe noor or supporting surface and serves as alimit of movement for the operating mechanism. The treaclle mechanism isused as a -g-auge in initially installing the arrangement. When it isdesired to locate `the fulcrum bra'cket`13, the strut '44 is secured tothe valve yoperating lever `50 by the connection 43 andthe treadle v14then pivoted about the 'fulcrum 13 to a position with the bumper 43Acontacting lthe fioor. The bracket 13, with the lever 10, is thenshifted to a -position where lthe maximum range `of operation of theparticular iiushingvalve 'is obtained, and secured. By disconnecting thedrip tray 12| and the connection 43, it will be seen that the entireflushing mechanism can 'be removed with the bowl 26, from which it iswholly'supported,V without disturbing any of the other mechanism. Y

An upper dumping pan 15"is provided which, in 1the normal position, isadapted to seal the discharge opening 80 from the closet `bowl 2B; and`a bottom closure member 85 is provided which, in its closed position,is adapted to seal the bottom drain opening Y90 from the `chute I1. Theupper pan is insulated, as at 15, the insulation 4being enclosed 'byouter shell 11. The dumping pan 15 `is actuatedby ymeans (of the hollowupper shaft `8| to 'which the pan is anchored by means 'of attachingbracket 1'8 through the medium of *set screws 19. The shaft y8| `ispivotally carried in spaced bearing members i02 and `03 disposedadjacent opposite ends thereof and separate from but fixedly secured intherespective side walls y2|) Yof the closet stand immediately above thenjoinder of the base |l| with the chute `I1 :and if" 'housing member I6by means of similar nuts 84 clamping the side walls between similarshoulders '86, on the respective bearings, and the nuts. The

'bearing'83 is provided with an outwardlydisposed Vvchored tothe shaft8| by means of set `screw 95 'for rotation therewith, The tension onthe: spring 88 may readily'be adjusted merely by winding up the springby means of the member 93 to the desired degree before setting the screw95. The amount of spring tension necessary is determined solely by theforce required to counter- 'balance 'thedump'ing fpan 15 in closedposition. "Thus, it will be seen 'that VLsince the bearing 8.3

ofwhioh the spring seat 81 isan integral part is rigidly xed the spring`|30 will exert a force on the member 93 tending to rotate the shaft 8|;and by the direction of the coils of the spring, it will be noted thatthis force is exerted to rotate the shaft in a direction to urge thedumping Apan towards fully closed position against limit stop 9B whereit is normally maintained.

Disc Washer 91, seated against collar 98 on the bearing 83, Aenc'losesthe inner side of the spring 88 yand cooperates with the disk `93 andflange 9-2`to constitute a housing for the spring. VThe bottom closuremember is -provided Lwith spaced stub shafts 1|02 offset from the planeof such member, whereby the axis of operation is disposed above the oorlline and the lbottom member therebenea-th `and by means Vof which themember is pivotally mounted in spaced, similar bearing members |03`separate from but xedly secured lin the respective side Walls of thebase member by means of similar nuts |04 clamping such `side wallsbetween shoulders |05, on the respective bearings, and the nuts. Acounterweight |06 is securely anchored'to the outer end of Vone of the-stub `shafts |02 `by means lof set screw |01 in a position `tending tourge the bottom closure member toward open position `where it lisnormally held. A resilient bumper |08 is disposed on the underside ofthe counterweight to 4deaden the -sound of operation and comes incontact with bottom flange `|'2 of the base to limit -the openingmovement of 'the member 85. While the side walls of the housing I5 Vand'the base Yin which the shafts 85| and |02,` respectively, vare mounted,4are disposed `atan angle to such shafts, it will be noted, asbest shownin 'Fig "1, that such walls are provided Awith parallel portions atright angles to the axes 'of the respective shafts for attachment of theshaftbearing members 8-2, 03 and |03.

The operating ymechanism 4for the dumping pan '15 and the bottomclosuremember-85 is designed for sequential operation Vof those membersand coincidentally 'with 'the flushing operation, with the bottomclosure Amember rst coming fully closedagainst 'the chute opening 90before the dumping pan begins 'to move away from its seat againsts'top95to expose the discharge opening 80. The bottom closurememberi85 isoperated directly 'from the treadle 14 through mechanism including thestrut 44 and separately from the dumping pan 15. A slotted lever |20 issecurely ranchored 'on the outer end of Aone of the bottom .closuremember stub shafts 4|02 by means of a set screw 12| and provides an armby means of which the :bottom A'closure member may be actuated. A slotr|22 is provided in the lever which is 'adaptedf'to receive a projectinglug |23 on an operatinglever |24 `and provides'a means of compensatingfor the relative movement between vthe two members as they traversetheir respective arcuate paths about "their axes. While the slot |22, asshown, is udisposed in the lever |20 and 'the lug |23 on the lever |24,itwill be understood that such arrangement'might be reversed with the.slot |22 in the lever |24 and the lug |23 disposed on the lever |20without impairing the function or operation of the mechanism. Or, ifdesired, the slot |22 might be dispensed with altogetheriand a directpivotal connection bevtweenrtl'ie*lever |24 and lug |23 substituted witha telescopic .connection l provided ,in the lever Y|24 -inthearcuatemovement. 1

The lever A|24 is an assembly comprisedV of an operating disc |25 andthe lever and are both mounted on a sleeve |26 and provided with anintervening torsional spring |21 anchored at opposite ends to each andacting therebetween to cause such members to operate in unison toactuate the slotted lever |20 to close the bottom closure member 85, Thelever 24 is provided with a hollow cylindrical portion |28 of which thelever is an integral part and havingv a hub |29 for mounting upon thesleeve |26. The torsional spring |21 is disposed within the hollowcylindrical portion 28 and anchored at its outer end to the perimeterthereof by means of rebent ange |3| engageable through slot |30. Theoperating disc |25 is provided with a hub |32 seated on the sleeve |26and extending within the hollow cylindrical portion |28 and to which theinner end of the torsional spring |21 is anchored by means of flange |34entered within slot |33. The operating disc 25 is provided with anintegral, laterally extending lug |35 projecting into the path ofmovement of the lever |24 and against which such lever bears under theinfluence of spring |21. The lever |24, operating disc |25 and spring|21 may be assembled on the sleeve |26 as a unit prior to mounting uponthe shaft 8|, and the spring may be adjusted to any desired degree oftension merely by relative rotation of the opposing parts in a directionto wind up the spring and thereby to cause the lever |24, in operation,to move in unison with the operating disc |25 to actuate the bottomclosure member 85,. The adjustment is maintained by the engagement ofthe lever |24 with the lug |35. The sleeve |28 is mounted upon the shaft8 I, freely, for relative rotation with respect thereto; and the lever|24 and the disc |25 are mounted upon the sleeve for relative rotationtherebetween, whereby the whole mechanism is disposed in floatingrelation to the shaft 8| which merely acts as the axis for the pivotaloperation thereof. The lever mechanism |24 and |25, with the spring |21and including the sleeve |28, is held in assembled relation upon theshaft 8| by means of a collar member |44 having an annular flange |45embracing the outer hub portion |46 oi the disc |25 and anchored on theouter end of the shaft 8| by means of set screw |42, The mechanism isconfined between the collar |44 and the collar 85 on the wshaft bearing82, wherebythe lever |24 operates in a plane for co-operation with thebottom closure member operating arm |20 by means of the projecting lug|23.

The disc |25 is operated by the treadle 14 and for this purpose isprovided with an integral, laterally projecting lug |36 by means ofwhich the disc is rotated through a connecting link |31 extendingbetween the lug |36, to which it issecured by Washer |38 and fasteningmeans |39, and the connection 43 to the ilushing mechkanism operatinglever 50 which is operated directly by the strut 44 from the treadle 14,whereby the link |31 provides a means of operating the disc |25coincidentally with the flushing mechanism upon depression of thetreadle 14. The connecting link, where it associates with the lug |36on` the disc |25, is provided with a slot |43 for a purpose hereinafterto appear. Thus, it will be seen that upon actuation of the treadle theinitial movement causes the bottom closure member 85 immediately toassume its fully closed position in sealing relation to the opening 90from the chute |1. The immediate response of the bottom closure memberto the flushing action occurs prior to any movement whatever of theupper dumping pan 15 and is necessary to preyent the possibility of adraft from the opening 90 through the discharge opening 80 as wouldoccur if the upper pan opened before or during the raising movement ofthe bottom closure member; and, during this initial movement, the lever|24 and disc |25 move in unison as though they were a single integralmember. The disc |25 is designed also to operate the dumping pan 15 and,for this purpose, is provided with a laterally extending stud |40engageable, after the bottom closure member 85 has reached its sealingposition with respect to opening 00 and upon continued movement of theoperating parts, with a crank arm |4| formed integrally with the collar|44 anchored to the shaft 8| by means of set screw |42, thereby torotate that shaft and dump the pan 15 which empties into the chute |1 asthe pan enters the recess I8 provided in the rear wall of the chute forthat purpose.

During the continued movement of the operating parts necessary tooperate the dumping pan after the bottom closure member 85 reaches itsfinal position, the operating lever |24 for the bottom closure memberremains fixed in the final position of movement to close the member 85,while the operating disc |25 continues to rotate relatively with'respect to the cylindrical portion |28 under the influence of theconnection |31 to the operating mechanism and against the increasingtension of the torsional spring |21 as the lug |35 moves away from thelever |24, at which time the spring is wound more tightly during suchrelative rotation of the parts and, upon release of the operatingpressure, unwinds to the point where the lug |35 again contacts thelever |24.

The sequential operation of the mechanism in its various progressivepositions assumed during the iiushing period is best depicted in Figs,2, 3 and 4. In Fig. 2, all of the parts, including the iiushingmechanism, are shown in their normal position of rest with the dumpingpan 15 closed and the bottom closure member 85 open. The lever |24 isseated against the lug |35 and the stud |40 is spaced from the crank arm|4|. When it is desired to flush the closet, it is necessary merely tostep upon the treadle 14 which pivots about the fulcrum 13 to exert anupward thrust on the strut 44 and thereby actuate the lever 50 tooperate the ilushing valve 58 by means of the cam 5| and bell-crank 56.The pan 15 and member 35 are operated by the treadle 14 and strut 44coincidentally with the operation of the flushing mechanism by reason ofthe connection 43 between the strut 44 and the link |31 at the lever 50.Therefore, the same upward thrust of the strut 44 causes the connectinglink |31 to rotate the lever disc |25 in a direction whereby the lever|24 exerts a force on the crank arm |20 by means of the slot and lug |22and |23, respectively, to move the member 85 into sealing relation withopening 90 as shown in Fig. 3. During this initial movement, the pan 15has not moved from its closed position in sealing relation with thedischarge opening but the stud |40, on the disc |25, has approached thecrank arm |4| on the dump pan shaft 8| to a position lwhere contact ismade immediately after the member reaches closed position. As shown inFig, 3, it will be seen that both the dump pan 15 and bottom closuremember 85 are in fully closed position, while contact with the crank arm|4| has not yet been made by the stud |40; but

uthe lever |24 is still in engagement with the lug |35. When theengagement between the lug |40 and the: cran-k arm |4| occurs, apositive direct connection between the treadle mechanism and shaft 8| ismade, thereby to dump the pan 15.

, Contact between the lever |24 and lug |35 is maintained during theinitial movement by spring: |21 up tothat point in the operation whenthe: member 85 contacts the ychute I1, thus acting rigidly to close thebottom closure member, and when thatpoint is reached the lug- |35 movesaway from lever |24 as the stud |40 contacts the crank arm |-4| to dumpthe pan 15 upon continued rotation of ythe disc |25, thus actingii'exibly to afford the continued movement to open the dump pan. Duringsuch continued rotation, the lever |24 remains in its final position ofmovement in. closing the member 85, while the spring |21 `compensatesfor the relative rotation between the parts |24 and |25; and the tensionthereon'is' gradually increased as the disc turns thecran'k arm |4| bymeans of the stud |40 to rotate the shaft 8| and thereby dump the pan1.5-, as shown; in Figa-1. The final dumping position of the pan 15 is.illustrated in Fig. 4, at which time the pan enters recess; |8 in therear wall of chu-te' |1 while the bottom closure member 85 remainsA insealing relation to chute opening 90. lin this iigure, it will be notedthat. the lever |24 is still in its iinal position of movement, whilethe disc |25 has rotated toits flnalpositionwith the lug |35 spaced fromthe lever |24 and the stud |40 bearing against thel crank. arm |4| in`the final position of that member withy the spring |21 wound up to itsVgreatesi'.cl.egree of tension under normal conditions, Treadle 14 hasmoved to' its extreme" position withy the bumper 40 bearing against thefloor, and the flushing mechanism has attained' its full flushingforcesending water through the nozzles 69 and '|70 into the bowl 26toibe drained through `discharge opening 80 4intcr the chute' chamber|-1, after which all of the operating parts are restored to their normalposition in directly reversev sequence with the Apan 15` first closingcompletely before the bottom closurel member 85 is opened to releasevthe contents from they chute |1 through opening 9U, at which timethe'parts have again assumed the position shown in Fig. 2".

, While the dumping .operation of the pan- 15 andtlie initial operationofthe bottom closure member |l"takes place coincidentally with theoperation of the iiushing mechanism, the release of each mechanism isaccomplished independentl'y ,of the other; and the speed with which the,flushing mechanism returns to non-flushing condition -is 4not dependentupon or affected by the 4timerequired for the dump pan and bottom clo-`'suremernber operating parts to ,return to normal "position after thepressurehas been released from treadle 114. By means of slot |43 in thelink |31 at'the connection to lug |36 on theI disc |25 in combinationwith the iioating type mounting of the' lever disc |25, the flushingmecha- 4nism `is adapted to return to non-flushing condition even thoughthe operating parts for the pan and member 85 might, for some reason,4be prevented from returning to their normal-position of rest` wherebycontinuous operation of the flushing valve and consequent draining of4the water supply tank (not shown) is prevented. It. will be seenthatby. reason of the floating connectionl of the disc. |25, that member,after `having been operated'to its extreme position of `mover-nenttodump the pan T5, will .return at least to a. position Where the lugwill bear against lever |24 under the iniiuence of spring |21; and inthe event4 that the member 85 for some reason is prevented from opening,that position will be as shown in Fig. 3` with thelever |24 preventedfrom returning fully to its normal position of rest-by the crank arm|20. kWith the disc |25 having reached this position, the flushingmechanism then may return to fully released, non-flushing. position byreason ofthe slotted engagement |43 of the connecting link |31 with therlug |36 on the disc. Even though both the bottom closure member 85` andthe dump pan 15 be` prevented from returning .to their respective normalpositions-i, e., the member 05 prevented from opening and the pan 15prevented from closing, the iiushing mechanismwill be released as abovedescribed. By having the floating type mounting. of the lever and discmech.- anism |24 and |25 and the loose connectionbetween the stud. andcrank. arm |4|, the dump pan 15 may remain in. any position, because ofan obstruction, without affecting the return of the flushing mechanismto Areleased position. The pan 15 may be pressed open with a hose or thelike. for cleaning purposes, against the resistance offered by spring88,` without operating either the bottomclosure member 85 or theiiushing mechanism; and, likewise, the bottom closure member 85 maybeswungr through its complete arc of travel without affecting either thepan 15 or the flushing mechanism. bottom closure member 85 should becomeobstructed and fail to close, the compensating action of spring |21 willstill permit` dumping of the pan 15 and operation, of the iiushingmechanism. In the modified type of arrangement illustrated in` Figs. 14,15 and 16, the mechanism, in so far as the opera-tion of the dumping pan15is concerned, isexactly the same as that heretofore described :andtherefore will require no further description; .but the counterbalancingof the bottom closureV member85 is accomplished byv means o-f atorsional. spring without the use of weigh-ts., That end of the one stubshaft |02 upon which the counterweight |06 was mounted is now disposedflush with the end of bearing |03 and provided with a` slotted capscr'ew |55 threaded into ther end of the shaft and having a nished headto the diameter of the bearing |03. At the opposite side of the base `onthe other stub shaft |02, a combined crank arm and spring housing memberis substituted for the crank arm |20 of the previously describedembodiment. `The crank arm is provided with a slot- |51- for cooperationwith the .lugv |23 on the actuating lever |24 and is anchored to thestub 'shaft |02 by means of set screw |2| entered through hub |58, Thecrankarm is provided with an integral, cylindrical spring housing |59containing a torsional spring |60 anchored at its outer extremity to theperimeter of the housing by means of rebent flange |6| entered in slot|62. The spring |60 is coiled. about iixedy bearing member |63 for thestubshaft |02, which is secured in the base like bearing |03, by meansof similar nuts |04 and is anchored thereto, at its inner end, by meansof flange |64 entered in groove |65.

By the direction of the spring coils, it will be .noted4 that the spring|60 exerts a force between the iiXed bearing |63 and the spring housing|59 tending to rotate the crank arm |56 and the shaft |02 in a directionto open the bottom clo- In the event the sure member 85, and a stop |66,integral with the housing |59 and adapted to bear on the base flange I2,is provided to limit the opening movement. A similar integral stop |61is disposed on the diametrically opposite side of the housing |59 inorder to permitl use of the member in reverse with mechanism on theopposite side of the closet stand without change in the casting. Contactwith the chute I1 by the member 85 serves as a positive stop to preventfurther movement of the member |59. 'I'he sole function of the spring|50, normally, is to open the bottom closure member 85; but it of courseoifers additional compensating action, supplementing the spring |21, inthe event the bottom closure member 85 fails to operate. The springhousing |59 is closed at the side adjacent to the base by means of awasher |68 seated against collar |69 onthebearing |63. In operation, thespring |60 is maintained under less tension than the spring |21, wherebythe resistance offered thereby to the closing of the member 85 may beovercome without causing the lug l 35 to break Contact with the lever|24 before the stop |61 strikes the base ange |2 as the mechanism isactuated. The arrangement functions in exactly the same sequence as thatpreviously described, with bottom member 85 closing first-the spring |60being wound to a greater degree of tension in accomplishing this; thenthe spring |21 is wound to a greater degree of tension as the pan isdumped and in reverse sequence as the mechanism is released.

The parts of the operating mechanism are designed for use, in eitherright or left hand mechanisms-thus eliminating the need for extracastings; and it will be seen that by the mere reversal of the lug |36on plate |25 all of the parts may be reversed and used either right orleft for assembly on either side of the closet stand. In actualpractice, the disk is made with two of the lugs |36, one disposed uponeach side of the vertical line which passes through the center of thestop the lug |40 and the central opening forming the bearing therefor,whereby the member may be reversed for use on either side of the standby merely turning it around. It is to be noted that while the springs 88and |21 are wound up simultaneously in the operation of thek pan 15,they do not act in opposition one to the other but operateseparately--each performing its own function independently of the other,but the springs |21 and |60 do function in opposition in that spring |60resists closing of the member 85, with the spring |21 necessarilyovercoming the spring |60 as the lever |24 moves the crank arm |56 to aposition closing member 85 without the contact between lug |35 and lever|24 being broken until the stop |61 strikes base flange I2. Y

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided alightweight water closet construction with a lightweight operatingmechanism in which all unnecessary weights have been eliminated and inwhich compensating action is provided for all possible conditionsadversely affecting the operation of the mechanism, whereby the flushingmechanism is rendered operative at all times.

l What is claimed is:

1. In a water closet including a bowl having a discharge opening and asupporting stand having a, drain opening with a dump pan and a closuremember for the discharge and drain openings, respectively, and eachhaving an operating shaft; means for operating said dump pan and closuremember, including a lever assembly floatingly mounted on the panoperating shaft, said assembly comprising relatively movable membersconnected by a spring, and means on the closure member shaftco-operating with the lever.

2. In a water closet including a bowl having a discharge opening and asupporting stand having a drain opening with a dump pan and a closuremember for the discharge and drain openings, respectively, and eachhaving an operating shaft; means for operating said dump pan and closuremember, including a lever assembly mounted on the pan operating shaft,said assembly comprising a lever arm and an actuating member eachmounted for movement relative to said operating shaft and to the other,and means on the closure member shaft co-operating with said lever arm.

3. In a water closet including a bowl having a discharge opening and asupporting stand having a drain opening with a dump pan and a closuremember for the discharge and drain openings, respectively, and eachhaving an operating shaft; means for operating said dump pan and closuremember, including a lever assembly mounted on the pan operating shaft,said assembly comprising a lever arm and an actuating member eachmounted for movement relative to said operating shaft and to the other,a torsional spring connecting said lever arm and actuating member andresisting relative movement thereof, and means on said closure membershaft cooperating with said lever arm.

4. In a water closet including a bowl having a discharge opening and asupporting stand having a drain opening with a dump pan and a closuremember for the discharge and drain openings, respectively, and eachhaving an operating shaft; means for operating said dump pan and closuremember, including a lever assembly mounted on the pan operating shaft,said assembly comprising a lever arm and an actuating member eachmounted for movement relative to said operating shaft and to the other,a spring connecting said lever arm and actuating member and resistingrelative movement thereof, and means on said closure member shaftco-operating with said lever arm.

5. In a water closet including a bowl having a discharge opening and asupporting stand having a drain opening with a dump pan and a closuremember for the discharge and drain openings, respectively, and eachhaving an operating shaft; means for operating said dump pan and closuremember, including a lever assembly mounted on the pan operating shaft,said assembly comprising a lever arm and an actuating member eachmounted for movement relative to said operating shaft and to the other,a torsional spring connecting said lever arm and actuating member andresisting relative movement thereof, a crank arm on the pan operatingshaft, means on said actuating member engageable with said crank arm,and means on the closure member shaft engageable with said lever arm.

6. In a Water closetl including a bowl having a discharge opening and asupporting stand having a drain opening with a dump pan and a closuremember for the discharge and drain openings, respectively, and eachhaving an operating shaft; means for operating said dump pan and closuremember, including a lever assembly mounted on the pan operating shaft.said assembly comprising a lever arm and an actuating member eachmounted for movement relative to said operating shaft and to the other,a torsional spring connecting said lever arm and actuating member andresisting. relative movement thereof, stop means on the actuating memberengageable with the lever arm, a crank arm on the pan operating shaft,means on said actuating member engageable with said crank arm, and meanson the closure member shaft engageable with said lever arm.

7. In a water closet including a bowl having a discharge opening and asupporting stand having a drain opening with a dump pan and a closuremember for the discharge and drain openings, respectively, and eachhaving an operating shaft; flushing mechanism, means for operating saiddump pan and closure member, including a lever assembly mounted on thepan operating shaft, said assembly comprising a lever arm and anactuating member each mounted for movement relative to said operatingshaft and to the other, a torsional spring connecting said lever arm andactuating member and resisting relative movement thereof, stop means onthe actuating member engageable with the lever arm, a crank arm on thepan operating shaft, means on said actuating member engageable with saidcrank arm, means on the closure member shaft engageable with said leverarm, a lost motion connection between the actuating member and saidflushing mechanism, and means for actuating said flushing mechanismsimultaneously with the operation of said dump pan and closure member.

8. In a water closet including a bowl having a discharge opening and asupporting stand having a drain opening with a dump pan and a closuremember for the discharge and drain openings, respectively, and eachhaving an operating shaft; counterbalancing means for the closuremember, a torsional spring anchored to the supporting stand andconnected to the dump pan operating shaft to balance said dump pan,means for operating the dump pan and closure member including `a leverassembly mounted on the pan operating shaft, said assembly comprising alever arm and an actuating member each mounted for movement relative tosaid operating shaft and to the other, a torsional spring connectingsaid lever arm and actuating member and resisting relative movementthereof, stop means on the actuating member engageable with the leverarm, a crank arm on the pan operating shaft, means on said actuatingmember engageable with said crank arm, and means on the closure membershaft engageable with said lever arm.

9. In a water closet including a bowl having a discharge opening and asupporting stand having a drain opening with a dump pan and a closuremember for the discharge and drain openings, respectively, and eachhaving an operating shaft; counterbalancing means for the dump pan, atorsional spring anchored to the supporting stand and` connected to theclosure member operating shaft for balancing that member, means foroperating the dump pan and closure member `including a lever assemblymounted on the pan operating shaft, said assembly comprising a lever armand an actuating member each mounted for movement relative to saidoperating shaft and to the other, a torsional spring connecting saidlever arm and yactuating member and resisting relative movement thereof,stop means on the actuating member engageable with the lever arm,

a crank arm on the pan operating shaft, means on said actuating memberengageable with said crank arm, and means on the closure member shaftengageable with said lever arm.

10. In a water closet including a bowl having a discharge opening and asupporting stand having a drain opening, a dump pan for the dischargeopening having an operating shaft, a closure member for the drainopening having an operating shaft, a torsional spring coiled around theoperating shaft for the closure member having one end anchored withrespect to the supporting stand and having its other end anchored withrespect to the last-named shaft for counterbalancing said closuremember, a housing enclosing said spring, mechanism connecting the shaftsfor sequential rotation thereof, and means for actuating said mechanism.

i1. In a water closet having stationary members comprising a bowl and asupporting stand provided respectively with an upper opening and a loweropening a closure member for each opening and an operating shaftmounting each closure member, a torsional spring coiled around one ofsaid shafts having one end anchored with respect to one of saidstationary members and its other end anchored relatively to saidlastnam-ed shaft for counterbalancing the closure member mounted by saidshaft, a housing enclosing said spring, mechanism connecting the shaftsfor sequential rotation thereof, and means for actuating said mechanism.

12. In a water closet having a supporting stand and -a bowl and havingupper and lower openings, a dump pan for the upper opening and a closuremember for the lower opening, upper and lower operating shafts for thedump pan and closure member, respectively, operatively mounted in thesupporting stand, means for operating said shafts to actuate the dumppan and closure member comprising an assembly oatingly mounted on theupper shaft and having a lever, a crank fixedly mounted on the lowershaft, said lever cooperating with said crank to actuate. the closuremember prior to the dump pan, a crank fiXedly mounted on the upper shaftcooper-ating with the assembly to actuate the dump pan, and means foractuating said assembly.

13. In a water closet having an upper dump pan and a lower closuremember, upper and lower operating shafts for the dump pan and theclosure member respectively, means for operating said shafts to actuatethe dump pan and closure member comprising an assembly floatinglymounted on one of the shafts and havingr a lever, a crank xedly mountedon the other shaft for operation thereof and cooperating with the lever,and a crank xedly mounted on said one shaft cooperating with saidassembly, and means for actuating said assembly.

14. In a water closet including a bowl having a discharge opening and asupporting stand having a drain opening, a dump pan for the dischargeopening having an operating shaft, a flat spiral torsional spring coiledaround said shaft for counterbalancing said pan, anchorage means forsaid spring fixed with relation to the supporting stand and ext-endingadjacent to said shaft, a housing xed on said shaft and enclosing saidspring, the end of the radially innermost coil of the spring beinganchored to said means and the end of the radially outermost coil of thespring being anchored to said housing, and means for actuating said pan.

CLARENCE H. J OHNSQN

